Oct 20, 2023 | News
Respite care services provide the opportunity for primary caregivers to take a short-term break from their care duties, with another carer taking over during this time.
In-home respite care can also provide support in the comfort of the home to a person who needs it on a temporary basis. This might be following discharge from hospital, after an operation or during recovery from illness or injury.
Respite care might involve personal care, such as helping a person wash, dress and take medication. It can also involve support with household tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, admin and errands.
Advantages of respite care at home
Respite care has numerous benefits for the primary caregiver. It can enable them to maintain balance in their life, and take the breaks that they need, whether this is for a few hours at a time or even several weeks.
Sometimes respite care is pre-planned, and sometimes it is needed on an emergency basis, if a carer becomes unexpectedly unavailable for whatever reason.
But respite care has benefits for elderly people too. The obvious advantage is that knowing that in-home respite care is available can provide great peace of mind to the person receiving care, knowing that their needs will continue to be met even after a change of circumstances, or in an emergency.
By ensuring that the primary caregiver is able to take the time they need to focus on their own health and wellbeing, respite care helps make sure that carers are able to perform the role to the best of their abilities, and avoid burnout.
It also promotes socialisation and variety in an older person’s life. Interacting with a different caregiver can provide extra stimulation and sometimes the chance to engage in new activities.
For those receiving respite care during recovery from illness or injury, there are also numerous benefits. Knowing that someone is on hand to take care of day-to-day tasks around the home, such as cleaning, looking after pets and running important errands creates peace of mind and promotes good mental health.
It also offers reassurance to family and friends that their loved one is being well looked after during their recovery, and lowering the burden on them to constantly be on hand to help.
A respite carer can also take steps to help ensure a person’s recovery goes as smoothly as possible, with treatment and rehabilitation programmes adhered to. This could involve administering medication, helping a person stay on top of physiotherapy exercises and keeping an eye on their general mood and condition.
And because respite care can be very flexible, it will always be carefully tailored to the person in question and their specific, individual needs.
If you or a loved one would benefit from in-home respite care, contact OxleyCare today